Music-rack.



P ATENTED DEC. 13, 1904.

C. E. WILLIAMS.

MUSIC RACK.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NO MODEL.

C/W'Zw E Warm-, & 1

I) Cl) 01' I r I el llforga ys Hdin zsm fiww No. 777,580" r PATENTEDDEC. 13, 1904.

' 0. E. WILLIAMS.

MUSIC RACK.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 29, 1903.

UNITED STATES Patented December 13, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. WILLIAMS, OF LEROY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAMB. LIST, OF LEROY, ILLINOIS.

MUSIC-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,580, dated December13, 1904.

Application filed December 29, 1903. Serial No. 187,030. (No model.)

To alt whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OHARLEs E. VVILLIAMS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Leroy, in the county of McLean and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Music- Rack, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to music-racks, and has relation moreparticularly to that type of music-racks in which one or moreleaf-turners are provided to turn the leaves of a piece of music bymeans of power supplied by springs or other suitable devices. I

The principal object is to provide a device of the character specifiedwhich is adapted for adjustment to conform to pieces of music ofdifferent sizes, which can be folded into a smallspace when not in use,which is adapted to be readily attached to a piano or other musicalinstrument, and which has the leaf-turning devices provided withimproved means for positively gripping the several leaves of the pieceof music.

With the object above mentioned and others in view, which will appear asthe invention is fully disclosed, the same consists in an improved formof music-rack hereinafter fully described, illustrated in preferred formin the accompanying drawings, and having the novel features thereofparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the music-rackextended in operative position. Fig. 2 is a view in rear elevation ofthe members 1 and 28, with portions of the structures attached thereto.Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of one of the leafclamps and thestructures adjacent thereto. Fig. 4 is a detail view in section throughthe clamp and other members shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view ofanother type of leafclamp and a portion of the intermediate leafturner.Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view of the members shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 6is another sectional detail view of members shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is aperspective view of the devices employed in securing the music-rack upona piano. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail view of the members'shown in Fig.7. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of another form of supporting device.Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an attachment to be placed at thebottom of the music-rack. Fig. 11 is a sectional view showing therelative position of the attachment shown in Fig. 10 to the music-rack.Fig. 12 is a detail View of the device employed to hold theintermediate-leaf turner against the tension of its turning-springs.Fig. 13 is a view in front elevation of the music-rack folded. Fig. 14is a detail view illustrating portions of two leaf carrying membersturned to the right and held by individual holders.

Referring to the drawings, in which corresponding parts are designatedby similar characters of reference, 1 designates a member which formsthe base or main support of the apparatus. The member 1 consists,preferably, of a metal bar of suitable width and thickness havingrigidly attached thereto intermediate of its ends and projecting oneither side thereof a transverse member 2. The member 2 has pivotedthereto at 3 3 arms 4: and 5, each of which is limited in its pivotalmovement by contact with the end of a rib 6, secured upon the back ofthe member 2, the members 1 and 5 being provided with shoulders '7 and8, respectively, for engagement with said rib. The members 4: and 5 arelongitudinally slotted, as shown at 9 and 10, and extensions 11 and 12are slidably connected with the arms 1 and 5 by studs 13, attached tothe said extensions and arranged in pairs, as shown. The studs 13 extendthrough the slots 9 and 10 and prevent pivotal movement of theextensions 11 and 12, while permitting free sliding movement of saidextensions.

Near the upper end of the member 1 it is provided with a longitudinalslot 1 1, and an arm 15 is connected with the member 1 by means of astud 16, which extends through said slot. Near the bottom the member 1has pivoted thereto a member 17, whose pivotal movement is limited by asmall stud or boss 18. The arms 15 and 17 are provided at their freeends with extensions 19 and 20, respec tively, both of said extensionsbeing longitudinally slotted, as shown at 21 and 22, respectively, andbeing connected with the arms by means of studs fixed at the extremitiesof said arms and passing through said slots 21 and 22. The outer ends ofthe extensions 19 and 20 are connected by means of an extensible member23, consisting of slotted bars 24 and 25, connected by studs engagingsaid slots, as shown. The member 23 is connected with the extensions 19and 20 by means of thumbscrews 26, passing through openings providedtherefor in said extensions and engaging threaded openings in the endsof the member 23.

The structure disclosed in the foregoing paragraph may be generallyincluded under the term supporting portion to differentiate that part ofthe music-rack from the leafturners, which are now to be described.

Hinged to the member 1, at the left thereof, by means of hinges 27 is abar 28, provided near its upper end with a slot 29, as shown, and havingan arm attached thereto by means of a stud 31, extending through saidslot. Near the lower end the bar 28 has pivotally attached thereto anarm 32, whose downwardly pivotal movement is limited by a small stud 33.The arms 30 and 32 are provided with extensions in the form of slottedmembers 34 and 35, connected with the arms by means of studs passingthrough slots 36 and 37, provided therefor in said extensions. Theextensions are connected by an extensible member 38, consisting ofslotted bars 39 and 40. connected by studs engaging the slots, as shown.The member 38 is substantially the same in construction as the member23, above described, and is secured into position by thumb-screws 38.

Upon the member 23 and the member 38 leafclamping devices are providedat the upper and lower ends of said members. The leafclamping devicesmay be of various forms, but that which I prefer and have illustratedconsists in each case of a spring plate or tongue 41, attached at oneend to the member upon which it is mounted and having the other end freeand normally sprung outward from said member. To force the spring plateor tongue into engagement with a leaf of music, a clip 42, presentingjaws 4s and 41, is pivotally mounted at the fixed end of the springplate or tongue, and the jaws are separated by just suflicient space topermit the spring-tongue and the member upon which it is supported toenter between them. As each of the leafclamps upon the members 23 and 38is of ex- I actly the same construction, description of one 1, and themember 38 will contact with and be supported by the extension 12 of themember 5. This is the normal position of the leafturner, being held insuch position by means of springs and 46, attached to the rear surfacesof the bars 1 and 28 in the manner shown.

Another leaf-turner is shown in the form of the invention illustrated,and it is to be understood that the number of leaf-turners may beincreased without departing from the spirit of the invention. Theadditional leaf-turner referred to is of different structure from thatalready described and is detachably connected with the member 1.

Upon the back of the member 1, at each end thereof, an eye is provided,and each of said eyes 50 affords means for securing at the end of themember 1 a housing 52, which is held against rotative movement by meansof a pin 53, entering the eye 50, and a pin 54, lying in contact withthe back of the member 1. The pin 5 k in each housing is wound with aspring 55, which is connected with an arm 56, pivotally mounted on thepin 54: and held by the spring 55 in the position indicated in Fig. 1.The arm 56 has rigidly attached thereto at the end an extension 57,terminating in a loop 58, and a second extension 59 extends through theloop 58 and is connected with the extension 57 by means of a loopengaging said extension. A small collar 61, consisting of a coil of wireor other suitable structure, embraces both of the extensions between theloops 58 and 60 and forms means whereby said extensions may be locked inadjusted position. Each extension 59 is provided at its outer end withan internally-screWthreaded socket 59*,the outer open end of which isengaged by the threaded portion of an adjusting-screw 61, which isfreely rotatable within an unthreaded bearing 62, carried upon theadjacent end portion of an upright bar 63. By this construction the bar63 may be conveniently removed from the members 59 for convenience infolding and storing the device, and the screw-threaded connectionbetween the screws and the sockets 61 permits of the required adjustmentto properly it the bar 63 to the upper and lower members 59. Upon thebar 63 are slidable leaf-clamps of peculiar structure. Each of theclamps 64L consists, preferably, of a sleeve 65, slidably engaging thebar, a plate 66, rigidly attached to said sleeve, a spring-tongue 67,and a plate 68, attached to the tongue and adapted to cooperate with theplate 66.

Before beginning to play from music supported upon the rack theleaf-turners will be turned to the right, and in order to hold theleaf-turners in that position separate retention devices are provided.upon the extension 11 of the arm 4, as shown at the righthand side ofFig. 1 and also in Fig. 14. For engagement with the leaf turner firstdescribed a latch 70, having a laterally-projecting lug 71, is pivotallymounted upon the extension 11, and a small handle or finger 72 isprovided at the free end of the latch to swing it into and out ofoperative position. The leaf-turner last described is held in theposition above described by means of a springpressed member 73,pivotally mounted on the extension 11 and provided with a curved lug 74, as shown in Fig. 12, which passes through an opening providedtherefor in the extension and serves as a guide for said member. Themember 73 is adapted for engagement with a plate 7 5, which is rigidlyattached to the light bar 63 for that purpose.

For the support of the music-rack upon a stand of the ordinary type usedby musicians I provide buttonhole-slots 80 in the member 1, and alsoprovide a stem 81, having at the end thereof and disposed at an obliqueangle thereto a plate 82, .provided on its forward surface with headedstuds 83, adapted to enter said buttonhole-slots and obtain a positivehold upon the member 1 when said studs are forced into the narrowerportions of said slots. For supporting the device upon a piano or organI preferably provide upon some suitable portion of the piano a holder Hof the form shown, which presents a slot 85, adapted to receive a benttongue 86 at the end of a plate 87 provided with headed studs 88 forengagement with the buttonhole-slots 80.

In order to prevent the music from bulging forward in the median linewhen the leafturners operate, a strip of thin sheet metal 90 is attachedat its ends to the bar 28, as shown, and the music placed upon the rackis passed under the said strip. This strip holds the middle portion ofthe piece of music against the bar 28 and prevents the music frombulging forward at the middle in the manner common in musicturners asordinarily constructed.

When the music-rack is kept open and it is not desired to use theleaf-turners, a detachable structure may be employed upon the lowerportion of the rack to afford a convenient support for the lower edgesof the leaves of music in the ordinary fashion. This detachablestructure consists, preferably, of two angular members 91 and 92,pivotally connected, as shown, and provided with hooks 93 at the backthereof, which are adapted for engagement with the arms 32 and 17. When,however, the leaf-turners are to be brought into play, the members 91and 92 must of necessity be detached from the rack to permit theleaf-turners to operate.

From the foregoing description it will have been noted that thesupporting structure of .the rack and the leaf-turners are adjustablelaterally and longitudinally to conform to leaves of music of difi erentsizes. All of the arms of the supporting structure and the leafturnersare extensible, as fully explained, and the members 23 and 38 are alsoextensible to conform to different lengths of the leaves of music. Inthe turner provided for the intermediate leaf of music the bar 63 is notextensible; but the adjustment to correspond to music-leaves ofdifferent lengths is effected by sliding the leaf-clamps upon the bar63. It is of course to be understood that the engagement of the studswith the slotted bars of the rack is accompanied by a certain amount offriction to cause the parts to remain in any adjustment in which theyare placed, and a certain amount of stiffness is provided for byset-screws connecting the members 23 and 38 with the arms to which theyare attached.

When the rack is in use, it is supported directly upon a musicalinstrument or upon a suitable standard by means of the devices alreadydescribed, and the supporting structure, comprising the base and thearms attached thereto, is adjusted to correspond to the dimensions ofthe piece of music to be held by the rack. The music is placed inposition upon the rack by passing the front cover-leaf under theflexible strip of metal 90, attached to the leaf-turner for the frontcover-leaf, and the margins of the two cover-leaves are gripped securelyby means of the clamping devices over the members 23 and 38. Theintermediate leaf of the music, if there be one, is gripped atits outermargin by means of the clamps slidably mounted upon the bar 63 and isheld at its inner margin by being slipped under the flexible metal strip90. The leafturners may then be turned over upon the supportingstructure, the intermediate leaf turner being held by the spring-pressedmember 73 and the front-cover-leaf turner being engaged by the lug 71upon the pivoted latch 70. \Vhen it is desired to begin playing and themusic must be opened to expose the inner page of the front cover-leaf,the pivoted latch 70 will be swung in the direction indicated in Fig. 1,so leaving the leaf-turner previously engaged by the lug 71 free toswing under the influence of the springs provided on the back of thebase of the rack. When all of the music exposed by the turning of theturner for the front cover-leaf has been played, the spring-pressedmember 78 will be lifted with the thumb or finger, and the springsgoverning the movement of the turner for the intermediate leaf willinstantly turn that leaf to expose the notes upon the rear page thereofand upon the inner page of the rear cover-leaf.

As by far the greater portion of the sheetmusic published comprises onlytwo coverleaves and an intermediate leaf to each piece of music,provision is made in the rack above described for that number of leavesonly; but it will be obvious that the structure of the rack may bemodified without departing from the spirit of the invention to providefor the turning of a larger number of leaves by merely increasing thenumber of turners of the type described for intermediate leaves ofmusic. There would obviously be no reason for providing additionalturners of the type provided for the front cover-leaf, as the turner ofthat type is provided primarily to serve in conjunction with thesupporting structure of the rack after the front coverleaf is opened tobalance the weight of the supporting structure and form an extensionthereof on the left side of the base, so that the movement of theintermediate leaf or leaves when turned by the devices provided for thatpurpose will be arrested at the proper point.

When it is not desired to use the apparatus any longer and it becomesnecessary to fold it for convenience in carrying, all the extensiblearms may be shortened as much as possible, and the members pivoted tothe base 1 and the leaf-turner member 28 may be folded into approximateparallelism therewith. At the same time the arms connected with the base1 and the member 28 by means of studs and slots will be moved toward thelower ends of said slots, and the side members 23 and 38 of thestructure will be contracted to correspond, so that the pivoted armswill not project beyond the upper ends of the members 1 and 28 when thestructure is folded. The intermediate-leaf turner may be contracted byshortening the arms thereof, the sliding connection of the two membersof each arm being readily adapted for that purpose; but I have deemed itinadvisable in so light a structure to provide pivotal connection of theparts in order to permit the folding thereof in manner similar to thesupporting structure and front-cover-leaf turner. l/Vhen the rack isfolded for convenience in carrying, it is of course detached from thestandard or bracket employed to hold it in proper position when in use,and the entire structure when folded presents the appearance illustratedin Fig. 13.

In the construction of the music-rack metal, preferably steel, is thematerial which I have found most satisfactory, as greater strength isobtained with a small bulk and moderate weight than is obtained by theuse of any other material. If, however, it is desired to employ wood,celluloid, or other material, it may be done by varying the proportionsof the parts, and a structure of similar capability of operation will beobtained.

While I have described and illustrated a preferred form of embodiment ofthe invention, it Will be obvious that various changes in the details ofconstruction may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and I do not,therefore, limit myself to the exact construction shown, but reserve theright to make changes therein within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a structure of the character specified, the combination with asupporting structure composed of extensible members adjustable toconform to leaves of different lengths and widths, of a leaf-turnerincluding a member hinged to said structure, extensible arms pivotallymounted upon said hinged member, and an extensible member pivotallyconnected with said arms at their outer ends.

2. In a structure of the character specified, the combination with asupporting structure adjustable to conform to leaves of differentlengths and widths, of a leaf-turner also adjustable to leaves ofdifferent lengths and widths and including a member hinged to saidsupporting structure and having a longitudinally-arranged slot therein,an arm pivoted at one end of said hinged member, a second arm pivoted insaid slot, and an extensible member adjustably connected with said armsat their outer ends.

3. In a structure of the character specified, a leaf-turner including ahinged member, extensible arms pivotally attached to said hinged memberand adjustable to and from each other, an extensible member connectingsaid. arms at their outer ends, and positive leafclamping devicesprovided upon said extensible member.

4. In a structure of the characterspecified, a leaf-turner including ahinged member, pivoted extensible arms projecting from said hingedmember and adjustable toward and from each other, an extensible memberconnecting the outer ends of said arms, positive leaf-clamping devicesupon said extensible member, and means for positively clamping saidextensible member to said arms.

5. In a structure of the character specified, a leaf-turner including aleaf supporting structure and leaf-clamping means, said leafclampingmeansconsisting of a spring-tongue fixed at one end upon the supportingstructure and having the other end normally out of contact therewith,and a clip pivotally mounted on said supporting structure and havingjaws spaced apart sufliciently to receive between them the spring-tongueand the adjacent portion of the leaf-supporting structure and adapted tohold said spring-tongue in engagement with a leaf.

6. In a structure of the character specified, a leafturner including aleaf-supporting structure and leaf-clamping devices, said leafclampingdevices being slidable on the supporting structure and each consistingof a sleeve arranged to slide on the supporting structure, a plate fixedupon said sleeve to serve as a gripping-jaw, and a spring-pressed jawalso mounted on said sleeve and adapted to oppose said plate.

7. In a structure of the character specified, a leaf-turner including ahinged member and arms projecting from said hinged member, and a strapextending longitudinally of said hinged member and attached thereto atthe ends only under which leaves may be slipped to be held in positionwhen the leaf-turner operates.

8. In a structure of the character specified,

a supporting structure, a leaf-turner hinged In testimony that I claimthe foregoing'as thereto at one side thereof, and a strap atmy own Ihave hereto nfiixed my signature in tached at its ends to theleaf-turner adjacent the presence of tWo Witnesses.

to the hinges connecting it With the support- CHAS. E. WILLIAMS. 5 ingstructure, whereby music mounted upon WVitnesses:

the supporting structure and leaf-turner may LESLIE J. OWEN,

be held at the middle. v C. O. CLARK.

